NBA Rumors: East teams believe Paul George may leave LA Clippers in free agency

NBA Rumors: A few Eastern Conference teams believe they may be able to pry Paul George away from the LA Clippers in free agency.

Heading into the offseason, there will be several notorious franchises in the market for a big move. The likes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and possibly others will all be in search of a big move. One of the bigger names that could end up testing the free-agent market is Paul Geroge.

In the final year of his contract, George has yet to sign a long-term extension with the Clippers. Considering that Kawhi Leonard already inked his long-term deal, it's somewhat surprising that George hasn't done the same. That has led many to believe that his hesitance to sign an in-season extension with the Clippers could point to his desire to test the free agency market.

But we won't know that for sure until the offseason arrives. However, there is continued momentum toward that sentiment. According to a recent report, a few Eastern Conference teams with cap space heading into the offseason are keeping a close eye on George heading into the offseason, hoping that he could be open to other options in free agency.

Paul George's offseason decision could be tied to how the LA Clippers end the season

It's not surprising that George is playing the waiting game when it comes to an extension with the Clippers. After all, at 33 years old, there's a chance that this next contract he signs could be the last one he inks before the end of his career. If it is indeed his last chance to handpick where he's going to play over the final few years of his career, he should be taking a patient approach to this decision.

And with the Clippers struggling of late, it wouldn't be that big of a surprise if George is having some second thoughts about re-signing long-term with the Clippers. If George wants to win a title before the end of his career, you can make an argument that he should be prepared to explore non-LA possibilities.

After all, George has played five seasons in LA. And if he hasn't gotten close to winning a title in the previous five seasons, and that doesn't change this year after the addition of James Harden, it's hard to see how he's ever going to win with the Clippers.

George has a big decision to make about his future and, at this point, we shouldn't be surprised if it doesn't include the Clippers.